Luxury and Tech - Examining this Convenient Relationship

March, 2019

The relationships between luxury brands and tech have not always been idyllic, even if more and more of them have finally chosen to invest in it. Luxury has recently begun to catch up and seems to be taking a new turn, which IFA Paris is delighted with, given the endless scope of its’ applications.

The relationships between luxury brands and tech have not always been idyllic, even if more and more of them have finally chosen to invest in it. Luxury has recently begun to catch up and seems to be taking a new turn, which IFA Paris is delighted with, given the endless scope of its’ applications.

The issue of luxury was complex when it came to tech: how to preserve one's identity while modernizing one's image? On the one hand, big companies, whose positions have remained unchanged for decades, and who are not very willing to reinvent themselves through technological means. On the other hand, the attractive proposal of service based products and the provision of predictive tools.

The big question is? Finding the right alternative to improve the customer experience. Not breaking up with a legendary authenticity. Preserving the dream aspect of luxury without turning it into the sole functionality of the product....

Due to unimaginable reluctance, reflection and transition have therefore been slower than in other sectors... but aware of the danger of quickly sinking into obsolescence, the luxury sector has been able to grasp the urgent need to react.

Considered particularly influential in this transformation, the millennials have changed this very special luxury relationship. Volatile "new generation" consumers, in search of hyper-connectivity, immediacy and experimentation, who only wanted to be seduced. IoT standards were therefore an opportunity to reach out to these new prospects and reinvent themselves to meet their expectations.

Many start-ups are now assisting brands in this digital transition, to the delight of generations X and Y.

Clothing and accessories are transformed into connected and intelligent wearables. (For example, Louis Vuitton developed the "Horizon" geo-locatable suitcase, a bag equipped with a tracker that can be tracked in real time).

The customer experience is enriched and brands capitalize on data by mixing physical and digital experimentation. This new phygital strategy offers the client a unique and personalized moment based on the intensification of the emotional bond. A new policy very well implemented at Saint Laurent Beauté, which organizes filmed make-up sessions in its corners, recordings which are then sent to the customer; Gucci stands out through enhanced reality, allowing the customer to customize his sneakers before placing an order in his stores.

The official mobile apps display a playful content strategy to attract the user and encourage him/her to discover the other features of the brand. Photo Booth and selfies at Gucci, emoji filters at Versace or exclusive stickers to share via text messages at Chanel: gamification is becoming omnipresent in new marketing strategies!

Luxury is no longer stuck in its’ comfort zone because additive technologies are progressing at a rapid pace, the great strength of digital technology being to make it more accessible. While it is still the guarantor of craftsmanship, innovation is yet to become the new seduction weapon of the digital native, the only customers of the future.